Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder

The rich analog sound of the world’s most popular multichannel tape machine.

For more than 30 years, artists and engineers alike have been drawn to the warm analog sound, solid low-end, and overall presence of the Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder. The sheer number of albums recorded on this legendary 2” analog tape machine — including classics from Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, A Tribe Called Quest, and Jeff Buckley — serve as shining examples of the musicality of analog tape.

Fully authenticated by Studer, and modeled by UA’s world-renowned team of DSP engineers and AES magnetic recording expert Jay McKnight over a 12-month period, the Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder plug-in for UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces is the first product of its kind. By faithfully modeling the entire circuit path of the famous A800 machine from Allen Sides' collection at Ocean Way Studios, the Studer A800 plug-in is the most accurate representation of professional multitrack analog tape recording available.

Now You Can:

Harness the Studer A800's entire signal path and electronics for warmth and character on individual tracks and buses

Track and mix with the complete A800 electronic signal paths, including Input, Sync and Repro paths

Add warmth, presence, cohesion, and low-end punch that only genuine tape can provide

Tape saturation and overdrive via easy-to-use Input / Output controls

Use the Gang Controls function for fast global adjustment of all instances

Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder plug-in

Demonstration video

A Groundbreaking Tape Machine

Introduced in 1978, the Studer A800 was the first microprocessor-controlled tape machine. Years ahead of its time, the A800 remains a sonic benchmark, and can still be found in studios worldwide. However, with their massive steel frame and meter bridge, twin half-horsepower motors and cast alloy deck plates, original A800 units tip the scales at a backbreaking 900 pounds. The Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder plug-in poses none of the hardware hassles, yet retains all the beautiful sonics that make tape a beloved recording medium.

Capturing the Magic of Tape

Just like magnetic tape, you can dial in a clean sound, or just the right amount of harmonic saturation using the Studer A800 plug-in’s Input and Output controls. The reel deck IPS control steps through tape speed choices (7.5, 15, or 30 IPS), each with distinct frequency shift, head bump and distortion characteristics. The tape Type control lets users choose from four of the most popular magnetic tape formulas — each with their own subtle sonic variation. The Cal control allows the user to choose between +3dB, +6dB, +7.5dB, or +9dB calibration levels.

Hidden Features

Secondary controls are hidden behind the reel deck, and can be exposed by clicking on the Studer badge or the Open label. These controls include an Auto Cal feature, plus separate tape Hiss and Hum, with a global noise bypass. Finally, a Gang Controls feature allows you to simultaneously adjust and sync parameter settings on all Studer A800 plug-in instances in your session.

Turn your DAW into an Analog Studio

The Studer A800 plug-in's primary recommended use is as the first insert on every track where you want the sound of tape. This way, you can hear the cumulative "cohesive" effect of recording to magnetic tape as you build up your mix. (Of course, it can sound incredible on mix buses as well.) Be sure to strip away all other plug-ins at first — you may find that you end up needing far less compression and EQ, and that your mixes "glue together" more easily.

“The Studer A800 plug-in is tape in a box. Tracks that are thin and dull become full of life and tone... so creative, and musical. ”– Darrell Thorp(Beck, Radiohead, Charlotte Gainsbourg)

“No tape emulation has ever achieved this level of... should I say, completeness? I expect to smell the tape when I hit play!”– Vance Powell(Jack White, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs)

“I tried the Studer A800 plug-in on drums, guitar and overheads to get a saturated, punchy sound. It sounded great, and it works for me.”– Michael Brauer(The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket)

カスタマーレビュー

Studer® A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder プラグイン

OVERALL RATING

UADユーザー

2015年4月6日

Smooth tape emulation

I've owned this for a while, and I'm finally comfortable enough to write a review on it. Subtlety seems to be the key word with this thing. I don't like what it does to the low end, but find it can really warm up mids and smooths things up when pushed just a bit. I don't like kick feeding into it so I keep off of the master bus (or have kick by pass it); and same deal with drums bus. Saturating it a bit on vocals can be nice, but again subtly. This thing is a DSP hog, but I do love it for premasters. As a DUO owner, I tend to reach for other tape emulators first (e.g., J37) before using this for that reason.

R. Bonilla

2014年12月25日

Ahhhhh...... Tape......!!!!! Hands Down The Best :)

This badboy here is amazing, I usually put it on my kick drum and snare and my god is just tape music to my ears I can describe it is just big body and meaty definitely go to on all my ongoing projects. But to be honest I mainly used this bad boy on vocals. I mainly do Hip Hop Pop and R&B!

T. Cosentino

finally

Not to violate any confidentiality agreement between me and Apple corp, I believe my audio drop out problem (re: my last post) is finally solved so.....I will give this plug a hearty 5 stars!

J. Cabrera

2013年11月8日

A Must Have!!!

The Studer A800 is the first plugin I place across my mixes. This helps me get a good sound right off the bat. Once I dial it in, I proceed by placing the SSL G Buss Compressor on the Master Bus and start mixing from there. Do this and not only will you end up using less EQ and Compression, but your mixes will sound better because of it. Don't forget to play around with the Bias and HF filter. That's where the magic is at!

J. Baumet

2013年9月14日

Sweet and creamy

Playing a mix through Studer (and Ampex) creates the same improvement one might find between icemilk and icecream!

Not sure if any of you guys were ever poor enough that your parents bought you icemilk but believe me... Its night and day!!!

B. Tochilin

2013年8月7日

Studer A800 2 Inch Plugin

I purchased this plugin when it came out over a year ago. Right after I purchased it they came out with the Ampex plugin. That was the one I really wanted to run on the 2 track bus. After using this plugin (Studer 800) on the 2 track bus and also after I started the Ampeq 14 day demo I was a little bummed out I did not purchase the Ampeq. A few weeks later I stuck the Studer on every channel of my mix (only the drums & bass tracks) and I was amazed at what it did. About 7 years ago I sold my Otari MTR-90 so I am very familiar with tape machines and how they sound.

If you run this plugin on your drum & bass tracks it just glues them together. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars up keeping your 2" anymore with this plugin.

D. Colombo

2013年7月20日

No track without, EVER

I use this plugin everywhere, loving the 15 ips speed, it smooths everything and gives body to any material. On the Apollo channel strip and in my daw, it is always there to imprint that nice smooth tape sound to all my material. Cannot recommend this enough

J. Moreland

2013年7月1日

A little effort and you're in analog heaven!

While at a session in L.A. last week, the band and I over the songs a few times as the engineer was getting tones and recording them to Pro Tools (sounded fine). Then we tracked the keepers onto a 2" Studer machine. I couldn't stop grinning after hearing my kit played back through that deck (it's been so long, I'd forgotten what tape does for drums). When I got home I started the A800 demo, tracked some drums and right there in front of me was that sound. Subtle on the overheads (like they were EQ'd - with really awesome EQ), more pronounced on kick & snare (the body of the drums were pulled forward, whereas it was mostly attack before). The price kept me from trying this out before. Don't be stupid like me, buy this. I finally did.

R. Mc

2013年5月4日

Analogue Emulation at its best

I am now beginning to feel the way i used to about making music thanks to Universal Audio.
They look after their customers like no other company and are my to go to plug inns everytime
Thanks
Balloonmanrecords.com

V. Van

2013年4月14日

Quality of my latest Mix have increased due to Studer A800

Hi there,
Since my recent buy of Studer A800, plus a strategic change in my way of mixing. As you can listen from my artist page (www.indabamusic.com/people/Mimidhof). My two latest Remix Submission were done using Studer A800 on every track.

I'm owner of a simple DSP Duo core.. so I hesitate because of the price of the plugin and also because of using it in every track would fast let me without any DSP resource.
But I'm very glad of the result over all on the Drum track and the bass sound they are easyer to fit in my mixes. And I just begin to use it.

For my setup with little DSP ressources, for this plugin I took the decision to use it as an offline process, when I begin a new mix I process all my track with Studer A800.

Mimidhof

S. Hyland

2013年3月4日

What Box?

To my mind, there are two things that resolve the 'in the box / outside of the box' argument. The first one is production and mixing experience i.e. really knowing and understanding what you are doing, and the second is getting the Studer on every first insert (or every first insert of your most prominent elements if you are having to budget your DSP accordingly).

When the Studer's start working their magic, your mixes will have so much more sonic appeal, that you will soon put in the hours required to gain the experience, so it's the best starting point you'll ever define.

P. Hamilton

2013年1月7日

Love it!

I have been recording on a 1" 16 track tape machine for years. I never really wanted to go digital, but once I saw THIS plug-in I knew it was time to make the jump. Being a total tape snob I really have to say that UA really blew my mind with the Studer plug-in. I can even make my track sound like a blown out, old hissy reel. I can't wait to get the Ampex next.

R. Squires

2012年12月29日

Studer Guys !

There are hidden wonderments built into this plug in that I can't imagine. It has kept people who have even BIGGER EARS than I do so satisfied that I wanted to write to tell the folks here about it. More later but YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE. I'm impressed and I'll be hunting more tasty gadgetry from you before the new year is rolled in.
best! R. Squires

M. Vanacoro

2012年12月29日

An amazing plugin / "Set it and forget it!"

I love this plugin. I use it on individual tracks and on the whole mix. I'm sure, that with enough hours and hours of work you could re-create what it does with a bunch of really precise EQ plugs but it's just astounding how easy it is to slap this plug on and get warmth and 'fatness'. It's my new favorite.

R. Rodriguez

2012年12月13日

Studer for some freshness

I know that I will never be able to afford or operate properly a physical version of this machine. I love the ability to just have it right there, a mouse click away and in multiple instances of this great tool.

Throw it on your track and swim through the many great presets, read the manual, and I guarantee you will be able to find that analog sweetness you desire.

Well worth the cost of admission!

D. Sundquist

2012年12月11日

Time Machine

Dear Sirs,

I've tried many tape simulators since I bought my first Pro Tools in 1996.
Working with the DAW in the early years, I sadly missed the A-800 and the Ampex MM1100/1200 that were instrumental in making that rock'n'roll sound after which many generations of music makers have modeled their preferences.

But when I insert the UAD A-800 plug-in on the live drums, it's like taking a ride in a Time Machine - right back to mid-80's when the analog machines were at their peak! I insert on the overhead mikes and it produces the crushing that squeezes the kit together tightly.

Now I'll be waiting for you guys to work on the AMPEX 8-track. Why not go over to Les Paul's and measure his machine?

Best Regards
/Dan Sundquist
Sweden

M. Poncy

2012年12月1日

Tone shaping must

Less "tapey" than the Ampex, but given tone shaping uniqueness and low DSP draw, perhaps more useful. If you work hard to track good, clear sounds, but need a little bite taken off individual tracks during mixing, this is your ticket. Awesome.

C. Buyukuzun

2012年11月29日

About Studer A800 Multichannel Tape Recorder Plug-in

This is a really good simulation of Studer A800. It's always so hard to repeat an analogue existence in digital world but I think UAD did it. It's saturation is very realistic and so easy to understand how to use. By the way, ''ganging'' feature is genius to emulate 24 channel input on the same deck. Thanks for all UAD team, from customer support to engineers!

F. Castro

2012年11月27日

Amazing

This is a reason to buy UA products by itself. Its usefulness cannot be overstated. On every channel of every mix, Period!

K. Manthata

2012年11月25日

Unbelievable - I love it!!

Wow, i must say this plugin is worth twice its price. It has done wonders for my mixes, tight bottom end and smooth highs. I now spend less time tweaking the EQ's on my tracks. Digital process has come a long way.